STRANGERS WITHIN THE GATES

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 90, 13 October 1920, Page 5

STRANGERS WITHIN THE GATES

We have sympathy with "Nomad," who wrote in a recent issue ofy " the apparently conservative attitude of Wellingtonians to strangers." To a man •who does not know his Wellington, Wellington people do preeent some difficulties. Probably quite unconsciously, many Wellington people turn a severe countenance upon strangers; they appear to take an absurdly close and critical interest in the visitor's clothes, his boots, land general appearance, and none at all 5n the visitor himself; and if the charge were made that many of them d<> not •know the difference between a kindly glance and an aggressive jstare,. it would %c a hard thing to demy. The Sydney style is quite different. Sydney is too 'cosmopolitan to take a meticulous notice W small tilings, and is quite prepared to consider the visitor on his apparent personal i merits, without either puzzlement or suspicion over any externals that may mark him out ac differing from hiß environment. "■

Of course, the Australian suavity, polite attention, and general affability have as many drawbacks and pitfalls as has the superficial "stand-offish-ness" of the New Zealander. Every man who knows his Wellington knows fchaA under •the surface there is sterling gold, and that the WeUinigtonian weighs out in practice better than he looks —which is much superior to looking better than one 'weighs out. Still, the insular New Zealander would be better ':if he cultivated some of the graces of the continental 'Australian. What is really wanted is a blend of the two types. Since, however, perfection of character ia bard to a-ttain, 'either individually or collectively, it ■would be well, perhaps, to consider some 'such expedient as is suggested by "Nomad," who thinks that the establishment of a. Cosmopolitan Club in Wellington would make good the lack of sooial facility for visitors. That a stranger, through no fault of his own, should be "thrown on Ms own reEources" is not nice for the stranger, and is? possibly even woree for'the reputation of the city in the matter of hospitality.